Linguine w Mentaiko, Egg Yolk, Yuzu and Chilli Oil

Mentaiko (spicy seasoned Alaskan pollack roe or cod roe) is right up there with some of my favourite Japanese ingredients.

In Japan, I’d happily eat Mentaiko on rice for breakfast, mentaiko pasta, mentaiko onigiri (rice ball 🍙) is always my first pick at the combini (convenience store) and if a bakery stocks mentaiko pan (mentaiko baked into bread) - I’m all over it.

This recipe is very much inspired by the glorious plates and bowls of mentaiko pasta I’ve eaten over the years. The best one I’ve eaten thus far, is at the shop opposite Rokurinsha at Tokyo Station. It’s the perfect balance of a mentaiko sauce (very light cream), a dollop of fresh mentaiko, soft boiled egg, julienned shiso + nori. So good.

I won’t/can’t replicate the above but this recipe is a version of mentaiko pasta I love eating at home. The egg yolk creates a delicious silky textured sauce as a vessel for the savoury/salty mentaiko, heat from the chilli and yuzu to balance it out with some acid. Yum.

Personally, I like vegan mayo (Naked Byron Foods) as a taste preference and it keeps longer. Kewpie is fine for this recipe, the mayo acts as binder for the sauce and adds a little more body to it but the flavour is not pronounced (or shouldn’t be) in this dish.

If your local grocery store stocks shiso - add this to the pasta.

**Refined sugar free and dairy free